By: Sr. Purificacion Barrientos, fsp
Despite strong rains and howling winds brought by the typhoon, the launching of the Pauline exhibit titled “A Journey of Faith, 100 Years of bringing the Gospel to the world,” pushed through on August 21 as scheduled. Friends came to witness the launching, although not as many as we earlier expected because the bad weather indeed kept many indoors. But we were glad for the brave souls who defied nature and came to celebrate with us the opening of the exhibit that commemorates our 100 years as a congregation.
Not even a very nasty weather can squash our joy that day, made more so by the presence of our friends and some sisters from nearby Marikina and Lipa communities.
Fr. Alex Bautista delivered a beautiful and truly moving speech, which I am publishing in full below, explaining how the exhibit came about, and the process it took from the start until its completion.
Here’s a little tidbit about Fr. Alex, for those who do not know him. He is the Chairman of the Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church in the Diocese of Tarlac. He was the one who designed the altar that Pope Francis used for the Holy Mass celebrated at the Luneta during his visit in the country last January this year. He also designed the chair that the Holy Father sat on during his encounter with the youth at the University of Sto. Tomas. Already an architect before he entered the seminary, he later on specialized in liturgical design as a priest. He had designed museums, churches and shrines in many dioceses.
How we came to know Fr. Alex is another story that would have to be told another time. Suffice it to say that meeting him was really an act of providence that led to the putting up of this beautiful exhibit that tells about the congregation’s journey of faith from its birth until this time in history – “100 years of bringing the Gospel to the world.”
Sr. Noemi Vinoya, the Provincial Superior, welcomed our guests. She explained the rationale of putting up the exhibit, highlighting that “the principal aim is to thank the Lord for the particular mission entrusted to us as envisioned by Primo Maestro.”
“Putting up this exhibit allowed us to revisit our past, to look at the present and to strain forward to the future. And this puts to rest any doubt that this particular apostolate of social communications is truly willed by God, for the hand of God – His provident love and care – is evident in the journey of the Congregation for these past hundred years,” she said.
We were also fortunate to have with us two General Councillors from Rome, Sister Shalimar Rubia and Sister Lucia Kim, who did the honors of cutting the ribbon to open the exhibit, assisted by Sr. Noemi and Fr. Alex.
Sr. Ann Marie Nemenzo, our graphic designer, did her best in executing the design, pouring all her creativity and talent, creating an interplay of colors that is truly astounding and pleasing to the eyes of the viewer. The exhibit is open to the public and will run for one year.
Read Fr. Alex’s Curator’s Note in full here.
